Sushi is perhaps the greatest and most widespread ambassador of Japanese cuisine. Its variety is such that it is virtually impossible to generalize about it, or to assume a single wine profile that applies to every dish. And to complicate things a bit further, there are a myriad of ways the same fish can be prepared. Assuming a single wine style obviously becomes an impossible (and potentially frustrating) task.
Consider light to medium-body wines, with medium to high acidity, and a low alcohol content.
When pairing sushi with wine, it is essential to consider that the dishes tend to be delicate and come in multiple shades, textures, consistencies, and flavors. To start, it is advisable to avoid excessively sweet wines, powerful wines with high alcohol content, and red wines with high levels of tannins. All of these factors would overpower the subtle flavors of sushi and its ingredients.
This does not mean that we can't pair sushi with red wines. The key is to have a red wine with low tannins and a light body (low alcohol). Think a "Clarete" or "Palhete" style. Lowering the serving temperature of the red wine to 14ºC/57ºF is strongly recommended.
White wines are universally accepted and effective choices because they (usually) meet the requirements of lightness, freshness and fruitiness, perfectly suited to a wide diversity of sushi dishes. Sharing similar attributes, rose wines, are also a great pairing option.
Using the same logic, sparkling wines and "Pét-Nats" also match our " lightness, freshness and fruitiness" requirements, with the added value of effervescence, which can play an interesting role with the textures.
As a final tip, great attention should be paid to the quality of the condiments, in particular, soy sauce and wasabi. Both play a crucial role when harmonizing sushi with wine, so don't spoil everything by using soy sauce and wasabi of low/dubious quality.
In most cases, the sushi master will prepare the fish in a balanced way, without the need to add more soy sauce, wasabi, ginger, etc. Taste the sushi as prepared before sinking it into a pool of sauces. When excessive sauce is used, the original subtle flavors will be hidden or out of balance, and the appreciation of the wine in connection with the sushi might be compromised.
Wine suggestions by Sommelier Manuel Moreira:
Whites
Rosés
Palhete
Sparkling
Pét-Nat
Want to learn more? Here are some fantastic Food and Wine books.
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